Not all that boring
Drill and Bore with One Tool
© Frank Ford 2005; Photos by FF
I sometimes find it convenient to drill and bore a simple hole using a regular end mill. I chuck the end mill in my regular tailstock chuck, mounted in a morse taper holder on my tool post:
A standard center cutting end mill will drill a nice hole, and it's easy to control this way. I set the tool on center, making sure that cutting lip facing me is at center center height and move the cross slide to center the the end mill on the workpiece and drill the hole. After I have the hole to depth, I can bore it to diameter by simply moving the carriage and retracting the cross slide:
I get a nice concentric hole quick as you please. This technique works particularly well in soft materials where rigidity can be a bit, er, "relaxed."